On the wings of sweet lemon and pine needles, more like it. An eager nose flies from the glass, carrying those scents, wrapped in a mouth-watering tropical mélange of fruity aromas. A good gulp starts the final countdown: (4) gushingly light, sweet malt (3) twists with those fruit and piney flavors, then (2) hop bitterness clamps down, (1) pushing the forces of malt and hops (0) to a bitter finishing detonation. Dramatic stuff.- Lew Bryson

With such a name, I’m expecting fearsome hoppiness, and one sniff suggests that is what’s to come, with resinous, oniony aromas and only the slightest suggestion of fruit (tangerine and apricot, if you must know). The body, however, initially shows so much toffee-ish fruit that it’s easy to forget the hops, until they attack your tongue in the second half with their piney, herbaceous talons. A bitter, warming, almost numbing finish completes this late night, please-reawaken-my-palate sipper.- Stephen Beaumont

Lew BrysonLew Bryson writes about beer and whiskey from his home in southeast Pennsylvania. He has a family and two dogs. That’s all you need to know.

Stephen BeaumontOnce described as “beerdom’s Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the
author of five books and countless articles
on beer, spirits, food, travel and how it all goes together.